Toothbrush

ABSTRACT

According to an exemplary embodiment, a toothbrush having a bristled head, a neck, and a gripping handle, for use in cleaning teeth and orthodontic aligners/appliances may be shown and described. The toothbrush can have long bristles and a handle, which is offset from the head and neck—to provide improved access and cleaning ability, and the toothbrush may be small enough to fit into a dental or orthodontic aligner/retainer/appliance case.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/843,899 filed on May 6, 2019, entitled “TOOTHBRUSH,” and from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/043,781 filed on Jun. 25, 2020, entitled “TOOTHBRUSH”, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

Orthodontic treatment with clear, removable aligners is a very commonly-utilized tooth movement modality. However, the aligners and teeth must both be kept thoroughly clean, in order for the aligners to fit in fully and properly and to reduce the potential for food debris, dental plaque, and/or beverage residues trapped between the teeth and aligner to cause enamel decalcification and/or dental decay, by either being acidic, themselves, or by serving as materials from which oral bacteria can create detrimental acidic by-products. As such, food debris, dental plaque, and beverage residues must be removed from both the teeth and the aligner(s) after eating and/or drinking, and prior to re-inserting the aligners, so the aligners may fit properly—in order to function properly, and so they do not hold detrimental/damaging substances against the teeth and gums, while simultaneously shielding those same substances from removal by the lips, cheeks, tongue, and natural salivary flow.

Current toothbrushes are ill-suited as aligner cleaners; they are typically designed for brushing the teeth, themselves. This is because the necessary design of aligners is such that the segment(s) surrounding the front/anterior teeth—especially the lower/bottom anterior teeth, is typically so deep and narrow, that accessing it with a conventional toothbrush is inadequate and typically impossible—especially at the greatest depths of that recess—and potentially damaging to the bristles of the toothbrush, if attempted, since some of the toothbrush bristles would be inside the aligner, while others would remain externally, and the friction against and trauma from the edges of the aligner—vs. the “external” bristles easily deforms/damages those bristles, and, therefore, that toothbrush, permanently.

Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a toothbrush to predictably enable the cleansing of aligners, which can overcome the limitations of presently-available toothbrushes, and which can be able to be utilized to brush the teeth, as well. It is further desirable that the toothbrush be small enough to fit into the case that the aligners are stored and transported in, for the convenience of the alignee (the user of the aligners)—as a constant reminder, and for accessibility.

SUMMARY

A toothbrush having a head for use inside orthodontic aligners and on an alignee's teeth may be shown and described. The toothbrush can have a bristled head, a neck, and a handle, to provide improved access and cleaning ability, and may be separable or combined with other toothbrush elements or components.

For example, a brush may be provided having a brush head having a base that is offset and disposed at an angle with respect to the handle. This angle may be used in order to provide a toothbrush having a brush head that is disposed in an optimal position with respect to the full depths of all recesses within orthodontic aligners and other removable orthodontic and dental appliances.

The handle of the toothbrush may have planar surfaces and a circular shape, being flat in cross-section, or may have another shape such as an oval or rectangular shape. The handle may be of solid, continuous construction or it may have an opening in the center of it, to reduce its composition's volume and to increase the ability to grip and control it, during use on orthodontic aligners and on teeth. Further, the edges of the outer perimeter and the edges of any inner opening may be flat or rounded.

The longitudinal axis of the neck of the toothbrush may be coplanar with and at an oblique angle to the longitudinal axis of the head of the toothbrush, or it may be coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the head of the toothbrush.

A toothbrush may also be provided having bristle tufts that extend from the base of a brush head coplanar with the plane of the handle or the base of the brush head may be at an oblique angle with respect to a planar surface of the handle. The tufts may be provided on a thin brush head, such as a small, cylindrical brush head, which may have a single row of bristle tufts disposed in a row on the brush head. The tufts may also be provided such that a plurality of rows are provided in a parallel or staggered arrangement.

According to an exemplary embodiment, a toothbrush for cleaning orthodontic aligners and teeth in the mouth of an alignee may be provided. Such a toothbrush may include a handle having a proximal end and a distal end, with a neck disposed on the distal end of the handle, the neck being coplanar with a plane of the surface of the handle, the neck extending outward from the handle in a direction coplanar with a plane of the surface of the handle. The toothbrush may further include a brush head being coplanar with a plane of the surface of the handle. The toothbrush may further include at least one bristle tuft extending laterally from the brush head, each bristle tuft being oriented perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the brush head.

According to another exemplary embodiment, a toothbrush for cleaning orthodontic aligners and teeth in the mouth of an alignee may be provided. Such a toothbrush may include a handle having a proximal end and a distal end, with a neck disposed on the distal end of the handle, the neck being at an oblique plane to a plane of the surface of the handle, the neck extending outward from the handle in a direction oblique to a plane of the surface of the handle. The toothbrush may further include a brush head, the brush head being at an oblique plane to a plane of the surface of the handle. The toothbrush may further include at least one bristle tuft extending laterally from the brush head, each bristle tuft being oriented perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the brush head.

In some exemplary embodiments, the angle of the neck to the head of the toothbrush may be an angle between 0 and 45 degrees, for example 25 degrees. In some exemplary embodiments, the handle of the toothbrush may have a circular shape and a flat cross-section and the brush head may have a cylindrical shape with a circular cross-section and a substantially dome-shaped end. In some exemplary embodiments, the handle may be solid, or it may have an open center, as may be desired. In some exemplary embodiments, the bristle tufts may extend between 8 and 16 mm from the brush head, for example 12 mm from the brush head. In some exemplary embodiments, the bristle tufts may be arranged in a line, or may be arranged in another configuration such as may be desired. In some exemplary embodiments, the pieces may be decoupled from one another.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Advantages of embodiments of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments. The following detailed description should be considered in conjunction with the accompanying figures in which:

FIG. 1 is an exemplary side view of a toothbrush.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the toothbrush in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the toothbrush in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an exemplary perspective view of a toothbrush.

FIG. 5 is an exemplary view of a toothbrush.

FIG. 6 is an exemplary perspective view of a toothbrush.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the toothbrush in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a top view of a brush head of a toothbrush having two parallel rows of bristle tufts.

FIG. 9 is a top view of a brush head of a toothbrush having two staggered rows of bristle tufts.

FIG. 10 is an exemplary perspective view of a toothbrush in use, inside of an orthodontic aligner.

FIG. 11 is a top plan view of an orthodontic aligner and a toothbrush in an orthodontic retainer case

FIG. 12 is a top plan view of an orthodontic aligner and a toothbrush in an orthodontic retainer case

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Aspects of the invention are disclosed in the following description and related drawings directed to specific embodiments of the invention. Alternate embodiments may be devised without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention. Additionally, well-known elements of exemplary embodiments of the invention will not be described in detail or will be omitted so as not to obscure the relevant details of the invention. Further, to facilitate an understanding of the description discussion of several terms used herein follows.

As used herein, the word “exemplary” means “serving as an example, instance or illustration.” The embodiments described herein are not limiting, but rather are exemplary only. It should be understood that the described embodiments are not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. Moreover, the terms “embodiments of the invention”, “embodiments” or “invention” do not require that all embodiments of the invention include the discussed feature, advantage or mode of operation.

Generally referring to the figures, a method, system and apparatus for a toothbrush may be shown and described. The toothbrush can be formed in a variety of designs and utilize various combinations of handles, necks, heads, and bristles to provide desired orthodontic aligner/appliance and oral hygiene capabilities.

Referring now to exemplary FIGS. 1-3, a toothbrush or a head, neck, and handle portion of a toothbrush may be shown. The toothbrush may be formed out of any of a variety of materials, including, but not limited to, plastics, composites, or any other desired material. The toothbrush can have a handle, a neck portion, and a head portion. The neck and/or head portion may be substantially curved, as desired, and as shown in exemplary FIG. 1. Further, the head may include a plurality of bristle tufts. The bristle tufts may be utilized in any number, for example five bristle tufts, and may be spaced apart substantially equidistantly. It may further be appreciated that the number of bristle tufts may be from two to ten tufts, as desired and depending on the intended use of the brush; for example, the number of bristle tufts may be varied based on what size orthodontic aligner/appliance and/or mouth the toothbrush is intended to be used on and/or in. The spacing between bristle tufts may vary between brushes; for example, according to some exemplary embodiments, bristle tufts may be spaced apart at a distance of about 0.5 mm to about 4 mm, or may be spaced apart at a different distance, if desired. The length of the bristles may vary on a brush or between brushes; for example, in some exemplary embodiments, the bristles may have lengths of 8 mm to about 16 mm or more, as desired. The total length of the head of the toothbrush may also vary between exemplary embodiments of the toothbrush; for example, in some exemplary embodiments, the total length of the head of the toothbrush may vary from about 9 mm to about 30 mm or more, as desired. Likewise, the total length of other components of the toothbrush, such as the handle or the neck of the toothbrush, may also vary between exemplary embodiments of the toothbrush, such as may be desired. (Variance of the total length of any component or any combination of components of the toothbrush may be understood for any of the exemplary embodiments of the toothbrush, including, for example, exemplary embodiments other than those described in FIGS. 1-3.)

Still referring to exemplary FIGS. 1-3, the neck of the toothbrush may have a curvature of any angle. For example, in an exemplary embodiment, the neck may have a curvature of approximately 0 to 40 degrees from the body. In some exemplary embodiments, the curvature may be adjusted or may otherwise be made during the formation of the toothbrush so that it remains at a fixed angle. It may be appreciated, however, that the curvature of the neck may vary between toothbrushes, for example, depending on an application or depending on a user or aligner/appliance, each of which may require or which may be best facilitated by a slightly different angle of curvature of the neck. Further, the head and neck may be formed in any shape. For example, the head and neck may have a cylindrical, circular, or rounded shape so as to provide for comfort in use in a mouth, and ease of insertion into an aligner/appliance.

In still further exemplary embodiments, and still referring to exemplary FIGS. 1-3, it may be appreciated that the handle may have any kind of shape and may be circular, ovoid, cylindrical, rectangular, square, polygonal, or any other shape and, in cross-section, it may be flat, rectangular, square, circular, ovoid, or any combination thereof, as desired. The handle may also be of solid construction or have an open center—to reduce material volume and/or to improve grip and/or control, during its use. The outer perimeter edge of the handle and the inner perimeter edge—if the handle has an open center, may be rounded or flat. Additionally, and with respect to any exemplary embodiment described herein, the toothbrush may be formed to be substantially detachable or capable of coupling to another device. For example, in some exemplary embodiments, the toothbrush components may be releasably coupled to permit coupling to other toothbrush components.

Looking specifically at exemplary FIG. 1, a toothbrush 100 may be shown. According to an exemplary embodiment, a toothbrush may have a handle 108 and a single brush head portion 102, which may have a plurality of bristles 104 protruding therefrom.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the handle 108 may have a proximal end 116 and distal end 118. The handle may have a generally circular shape, having an ergonomic design for gripping and maneuvering the toothbrush 100. For example, according to an exemplary embodiment, the generally circular handle 108 may have an outer perimeter edge portion 110 having a rounded cross section, for comfort during gripping and in a user's mouth. The handle may also have an open center 112—of any shape, which may prevent the handle 108 from rotationally shifting in the hand of the user when gripped firmly by the user. The handle may have an inner perimeter edge portion 114, which may be rounded or flat. The distal end of the handle 118 may be tapered, in order to join seamlessly with the neck 106.

According to an exemplary embodiment, a toothbrush neck 106 may extend from the handle 108 of the toothbrush 100 and may connect to the brush head 102. According to an exemplary embodiment, the neck 106 of the toothbrush 100 may extend in a straight distal direction away from the handle 108 or may extend from the handle 108 at an angle, such as may be desired. For example, it may be desirable to slightly offset the brush head 102 from the handle 108, and in such an exemplary embodiment the neck 106 may extend at a slight angle away from the handle 108.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the toothbrush neck 106 may terminate in a brush head 102, which may extend at an angle 120 away from the toothbrush neck 106, for example at an angle of 1 to 40 degrees or any other angle as may be desired. (For example, a deeper angle, such as 50 degrees, may instead be selected. It may also be understood that the brush may have, in some exemplary embodiments, a gradual curve with no clearly-defined angle.)

A plurality of bristle tufts 104 may be disposed on the brush head 102, which may extend in a perpendicular direction away from the brush head 102, such that they are tilted with respect to the handle 108 and extend outward in a direction facing generally away from the handle 108. In some exemplary embodiments, this relative tilting of the brush head 102 may provide a configuration which naturally orients the bristles deeper into the aligner/appliance on which the brush 100 is being used, without interference from the perimeter of the aligner/appliance. According to an exemplary embodiment, bristle tufts 104 may be disposed in a single line, with each bristle being between 8 mm and 16 mm in length and each bristle tuft 104 being spaced 0.5 mm to 4 mm from the previous bristle tuft, such as may be desired.

Looking next at exemplary FIG. 2, FIG. 2 depicts a top view of an exemplary embodiment of a toothbrush 100. As in FIG. 1, according to an exemplary embodiment, a toothbrush 100 may have a handle 108 and a single brush head portion 102, Handle 108 may have a generally flat cross-section (or any other shape of cross-section such as may be desired). The outer perimeter edge 110 of the handle may be substantially curved, for comfort in gripping and use in the mouth. The handle 108 may be connected to a neck 106, which may have a brush head 102. The handle 108 may have a tapered distal end, 118, to join seamlessly with the neck 106, which may extend in a radial direction from the handle.

According to an exemplary embodiment, toothbrush 100 may have, disposed on the brush head 102, a plurality of bristle tufts 104 disposed in a single line, or may have another configuration of bristle tufts 104 such as may be desired. In an exemplary embodiment, a variable number of bristle tufts 104 may be provided. In another exemplary embodiment, the number of bristle tufts 104 in the brush head 102 may be extensible or reducible at the user's discretion, for example by replacing a brush head 102, if desired.

Looking next at exemplary FIG. 3, FIG. 3 depicts a bottom view of an exemplary embodiment of a toothbrush 100. As in FIGS. 1 and 2, according to an exemplary embodiment, a toothbrush 100 may have a handle 108 and a single brush head portion 102. Handle 108 may have a generally flat cross-section (or any other shape of cross-section such as may be desired). The outer perimeter edge 110 of the handle may be substantially curved, for comfort in gripping and use in the mouth. The handle 108 may be connected to a neck 106, which may have a brush head 102. The handle 108 may have a tapered distal end, 118, to join seamlessly with the neck 106.

Referring now to FIG. 4 a toothbrush may be shown. It may be appreciated that for the toothbrush shown here, similar structure, geometry, and orientation as described above with respect to FIGS. 1-3 may apply. The internal and external perimeter edges may be flat and unrounded.

Still referring to exemplary FIG. 4, the handle 108 may have a proximal end 116 and distal end 118. The handle may have a generally circular shape, having an ergonomic design for gripping and maneuvering the toothbrush 100. For example, according to an exemplary embodiment, the generally circular handle 108 may have an outer perimeter edge portion 110 which may have a substantially flat edge. The handle may also have an open center 112—of any shape, which may prevent the handle 108 from rotationally shifting in the hand of the user when gripped firmly by the user. The handle may have an inner perimeter edge portion 114, which may be substantially flat. The distal end of the handle 118 may be tapered, in order to join seamlessly with the neck 106. The neck 106, in turn, connects to a head 102 with a plurality of bristles 104.

Referring now to FIG. 5 a toothbrush may be shown. It may be appreciated that for the toothbrush shown here, similar structure, geometry, and orientation as described above with respect to FIGS. 1-4 may apply. The handle may be solid or have an open center and the external and possible internal perimeter edges may be flat or rounded. Further, the neck may be straight and without a bend or curve, as it extends from the handle to the brush head.

Still referring to exemplary FIG. 5, the handle 208 may have a proximal end 216 and distal end 218. The handle may have a generally circular shape, having an ergonomic design for gripping and maneuvering the toothbrush 200. For example, according to an exemplary embodiment, the generally circular handle 208 may have an outer perimeter edge portion 210 which may have a substantially flat or a rounded edge. The distal end of the handle 218 may be tapered, in order to join seamlessly with the neck 206, which extends from the handle in a para-tangential direction, from the handle. The neck 206, in turn, connects to a head 202 with a plurality of bristles 204.

Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7, a toothbrush may be shown. It may be appreciated that for the toothbrush shown here, similar components, having geometries as described above—with respect to FIGS. 1-5, may apply. The handle may be solid or have an open center and the external and possible internal perimeter edges may be flat or rounded. The plane of the handle may be oriented at an oblique angle to the plane of the neck and head. The handle may taper as it joins with the neck. Further, the neck may be straight and without a bend or curve, as it extends from the handle to the brush head.

Still referring to exemplary FIGS. 6 and 7, the handle 308 may have a proximal end 316 and distal end 318. The handle may have a generally circular shape, having an ergonomic design for gripping and maneuvering the toothbrush 300. For example, according to an exemplary embodiment, the generally circular handle 308 may have an outer perimeter edge portion 310 which may have a substantially flat edge. The handle may also have an open center 312—of any shape, which may prevent the handle 308 from rotationally shifting in the hand of the user when gripped firmly by the user. The handle may have an inner perimeter edge portion 314, which may be substantially flat. The distal end of the handle 318 may be tapered, in order to join seamlessly with the neck 306. The neck 306 may extend at an off-radial angle 320 away from the toothbrush handle 308, for example at an angle of 1 to 40 degrees or any other angle as may be desired. (For example, a deeper angle, such as 50 degrees, may instead be selected. It may also be understood that the brush may have, in some exemplary embodiments, a gradual curve with no clearly-defined angle.) The neck 306, in turn, connects to a head 302 with a plurality of bristles 304.

Referring now to FIGS. 8 and 9, a toothbrush head may be shown. Instead of including one row of bristle tufts, the brush head may have two rows of bristle tufts—arranged in either a staggered or parallel arrangement. Such a toothbrush head—having two to ten tufts, per row, may be included in any of the foregoing toothbrush configurations.

Looking specifically at exemplary FIG. 8, a toothbrush head 100 is shown having two parallel rows of bristle tufts 124.

Now looking specifically at exemplary FIG. 9, a toothbrush head 100 is shown having two staggered rows of bristle tufts 124.

Looking specifically at exemplary FIG. 10, it depicts an exemplary image of a toothbrush 100 in use. Specifically, the toothbrush 100 may be shown in use on the inside of an orthodontic aligner. As shown in FIG. 10, the angled configuration of the toothbrush 100, with the above configurations of the brush neck 106 and head 102 provides for the bristle tufts 104 to easily reach and clean the narrowest and deepest recesses of the aligner 400, for which a conventionally configured toothbrush would be unsuitable, due to insufficient accessibility.

Referring now to FIGS. 11 and 12, a toothbrush may be shown, inside of an orthodontic retainer case, with an orthodontic aligner also inside it. The toothbrush has a small enough size, so the user may keep it stored in the retainer case—for protection of the toothbrush and bristles from trauma and contaminants, and to have it always in their possession—in order to brush both their teeth and the aligner, before placing the aligner in their mouth—for instance, after eating a meal or a snack, so food debris do not interfere with the full and proper seating of the aligner on their teeth—for effectiveness, and to minimize the risk of any food debris being trapped between the aligner and teeth, which could damage the teeth, over time, by causing enamel decalcification and potentially progressing to cavity formation.

Looking specifically at exemplary FIG. 11, it depicts an exemplary image of a toothbrush 100 lying loosely in a hinged orthodontic retainer case 500—in its open position, underneath an orthodontic aligner 400.

Now looking specifically at exemplary FIG. 12, it depicts an exemplary image of a toothbrush 100 releasably affixed to the inside of a hinged orthodontic retainer case 500—in its open position, via an intermediary clip 600, while a orthodontic aligner 400 is lying, loosely, in the other half of the case.

The foregoing description and accompanying figures illustrate the principles, preferred embodiments, and modes of operation of the invention. However, the invention should not be construed as being limited to the particular embodiments discussed above. Additional variations of the embodiments discussed above will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

Therefore, the above-described embodiments should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Accordingly, it should be appreciated that variations to those embodiments can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A toothbrush for cleaning orthodontic aligners/appliances and teeth, and of a size capable of fitting inside an orthodontic retainer case, comprising: a solid, circular handle with a flat cross-section, having a proximal end and a distal end; a neck disposed on the distal end of the handle, said neck having a cylindrical shape and substantially circular cross section, the neck being coplanar with a plane of the surface of the handle, the neck extending outward from the handle in a radial direction from the handle; a brush head, the brush head being coplanar with and at an oblique angle to, the neck, said brush head having a substantially circular cross-section and a substantially dome-shaped end; a plurality of 2 to 10 bristle tufts extending laterally from the brush head—in a single row, the plurality of bristle tufts being oriented perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the brush head, the plurality of bristle tufts comprising a plurality of bristles having a length of between 8 mm and 16 mm and extending from the brush head in a common direction and parallel with each other.
 2. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the handle is of a different geometric shape, including ovoid, square, rectangular, polygonal, or other suitable shape.
 3. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the center of the handle is open.
 4. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the brush head is coaxial with the neck.
 5. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the bristle tufts are oriented in two parallel rows.
 6. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the bristle tufts are oriented in two staggered rows.
 7. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the components are releasably attached and able to be coupled to other toothbrush components.
 8. A toothbrush for cleaning orthodontic aligners/appliances and teeth, and of a size capable of fitting inside an orthodontic retainer case, comprising: a solid, circular handle with a flat cross-section, having a proximal end and a distal end; a neck disposed on the distal end of the handle, said neck having a cylindrical shape and substantially circular cross section, the neck being coplanar with a plane of the surface of the handle, the neck extending outward from the handle in a para-tangential direction from the handle; a brush head, the brush head being coaxial with the neck, said brush head having a substantially circular cross-section and a substantially dome-shaped end; a plurality of 2 to 10 bristle tufts extending laterally from the brush head—in a single row, the plurality of bristle tufts being oriented perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the brush head, the plurality of bristle tufts comprising a plurality of bristles having a length of between 8 mm and 16 mm and extending from the brush head in a common direction and parallel with each other.
 9. The toothbrush of claim 8, wherein the handle is of a different geometric shape, including ovoid, square, rectangular, polygonal, or other suitable shape.
 10. The toothbrush of claim 8, wherein the center of the handle is open.
 11. The toothbrush of claim 8, wherein the brush head is coplanar with and at an oblique angle to, the neck.
 12. The toothbrush of claim 8, wherein the bristle tufts are oriented in two parallel rows.
 13. The toothbrush of claim 8, wherein the bristle tufts are oriented in two staggered rows.
 14. The toothbrush of claim 8, wherein the components are releasably attached and able to be coupled to other toothbrush components.
 15. A toothbrush for cleaning orthodontic aligners/appliances and teeth, and of a size capable of fitting inside an orthodontic retainer case, comprising: a solid, circular handle with a flat cross-section, having a proximal end and a distal end; a neck disposed on the distal end of the handle, said neck having a cylindrical shape and substantially circular cross section, the neck being at an oblique angle to a plane of the surface of the handle, the neck extending outward from the handle in an off-radial direction from the handle; a brush head, the brush head being coaxial with the neck, said brush head having a substantially circular cross-section and a substantially dome-shaped end; a plurality of 2 to 10 bristle tufts extending laterally from the brush head—in a single row, the plurality of bristle tufts being oriented perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the brush head, the plurality of bristle tufts comprising a plurality of bristles having a length of between 8 mm and 16 mm and extending from the brush head in a common direction and parallel with each other.
 16. The toothbrush of claim 15, wherein the handle is of a different geometric shape, including ovoid, square, rectangular, polygonal, or other suitable shape.
 17. The toothbrush of claim 15, wherein the center of the handle is open.
 18. The toothbrush of claim 15, wherein the neck is coplanar with a plane of a surface of the handle.
 19. The toothbrush of claim 15, wherein the bristle tufts are oriented in two parallel rows.
 20. The toothbrush of claim 15, wherein the bristle tufts are oriented in two staggered rows. 